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June 30, 2018

Missile test project clears a major hurdle

The Ministry of Law on Thursday in principle approved the amendment to
Coastal Regulatory Zone notification 2011, permitting construction of a
jetty in a creek in the Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary for the proposed
Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Missile Test
Launch Facility in the Gullalamoda area of Krishna district.

At a
crucial meet held in New Delhi, the ministry gave the relief to the
defence project as a special case, paving the way for construction of a
jetty alongside the creek.

Confirming the the ministry’s decision
over the phone, a highly placed source in the State government told The
Hindu now that a major hurdle has been cleared, the project can be
speeded up.

Vital facility ::

The jetty, a vital
facility to transport all the necessary material required for the
construction of the missile test launch facility, will come up adjacent
to the existing lighthouse.

According to the 2011 notification,
‘tidal-influenced water bodies,’ including creeks, backwaters, lagoons
and the like, shall fall in the CRZ.

The Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change has sought a ‘Wildlife Management Plan (WMP)’
from the DRDO to grant Stage II clearance for the project.

The WMP is needed to ensure conservation and protection of the wildlife in the sanctuary.